Episode 157: Oksana Yusupova & her book, Focus on Emotions: The Kids' Guide to Themselves

ABOUT OKSANA

Oksana Yusupova is a psychotherapist based in Toronto, Canada, specializing in child and family therapy. She is the founder and CEO of Focus on Emotions, an innovative approach that helps children and parents understand emotions as meaningful signals rather than problems to be fixed. As an author and speaker, Oksana shares her vision of emotional awareness through her book Focus on Emotions: The Kids’ Guide to Themselves and through workshops, talks, and her parent community. Her work combines psychology, neuroscience, and practical tools to make emotional intelligence accessible for families and educators. With more than 20 years of experience, she is dedicated to helping people connect with themselves and each other on a deeper level.

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

• Being pulled, like a magnet to the work you're meant to be doing.

• The danger in avoiding emotions, whether consciously or subconsciously.

• From fashion design to psychology.

• The intuitive life.

• The feeling that something is missing.

• "...the main thing...I wanted was to not let my fears go to my child as I got from my mom."

• Children making you question your fears.

• The inner empathetic compass.

• Psychoeducation.

• Paying attention to your body.

• The many looks of happiness.

• Finding and sharing your true voice.

• Emotional journaling.

The MAIN QUESTION underlying my conversation with Oksana is, Whether as a child or not, how do we understand preparing our emotions like the weather -- and not merely suppressing them?

FIND OKSANA

· Website: https://focusonemotions.ca

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oksana-yusupova

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focusonemotions

LinkedIn – Full Podcast Article:

CHAPTERS

00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast – Oksana Yusupova

00:31- Introduction & Bio

01:51 - Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?

13:01- How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?

23:18 - Oksana's learned lessons from raising her own kids.

38:06 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?

42:24 - What do you consider your super power?

45:10 - What does leadership mean to you?

46:32 - Can you introduce us to the book we’re discussing?

53:24 - Can you provide a general overview of the book?

57:02 - A breakdown of the chapters in the book.

01:06:25 - What's changed in you in the process of writing this book?

01:16:38 - What’s next for your writing?

01:25:46 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)

This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.

Learn more about The Book Leads and listen to past episodes:

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· Listen on Apple Podcasts

· Read About The Book Leads – Blog Post

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